


Blind End

by Ms31x129



Series: Never Again [4]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s04e13 Never Again, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-22 19:45:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18534253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms31x129/pseuds/Ms31x129
Summary: Scully wasn’t sure why the ouroboros design intrigued her so. The circle of life had popped into head and she’d managed to stifle a laugh. She’d observed the meeting between the two men and taken Ed’s card as a courtesy nothing else. That was until Mulder had asked if she had a date… and found herself dialing Ed Jerse’s phone number. Would she have called except for Mulder’s remark? She doesn’t know.He was attractive, but she could see he was more like the type of guy Missy would have brought home just to tick off their parents. So why call? Was it the darkness hovering about him intriguing? Didn’t she want to leave that darkness behind? She should have suspected there was something more to that darkness when she found a photo with his face burned out.





	Blind End

Detective’s Gouveia and Smith had offered to drive him to the hospital and he had declined.

“Agent Mulder - Agent Scully told us repeatedly that she wasn’t sexually assaulted. And she didn’t appear to be in any distress during our brief interview with her early this morning at the suspect’s residence”.

“This morning?”

“Yes this morning we went to interview the other tenants when another tenant Kay Shilling was reported missing. She answered Mr. Jerse’s door. It appears whatever happened last night,”

Last night. Last night. Last night.. He had to focus on Det. Gouveia - he was still speaking.

“Between them was consensual…. A couple of hours later we got news 911 was called to the address we’d just been at with a report of an assault, some type of psychotic break on the part of Mr. Jerse according to your partner. Must have been for a guy to stick his arm in a furnace, right?”

Mulder nods not exactly sure which part of Det. Gouveia’s statement he’s actually agreeing to before heading to the rental car.

Mulder entered the hospital and could see Scully’s gurney being wheeled into the main ER doors.  He was stopped by a rather large and imposing gray haired nurse who demanded to know who he was when he tried following Scully’s gurney.

“Just a minute, hold up there - are you the husband? Family?”

“No.”

“Well we have protocols at this hospital - who are you?”

“I’m Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI and that,” he points to the now closed doors. “Is my partner Agent Dana Scully and now if you’ll excuse me I need to be in there with her.”

“You will remain here Agent Mulder until I return for you.” She points to a waiting room and Mulder doesn’t move. “Agent Mulder I’ve worked here for 40 years and I know as soon as I turn my back you’re going to try and sneak in there - let the staff do their jobs. I won’t hesitate to call security and have you removed - FBI or not.”

“I’ll get some coffee and then I’ll be back.” Mulder stalked away, needing the motion to avoid sitting and doing nothing - allowing his thoughts to repeatedly analyze the fact that Scully had been with another man. Who was a murder suspect - last night. He didn’t like it. He also realized he really didn’t have any right to like it or not.

Outside Scully’s Hospital Room   
2:00pm

“Your partner has a concussion, Agent Mulder and her blood sugar was dangerously low either or both of which could have caused her fainting. We are going to keep her at least overnight - I would prefer 48 hrs. in order to monitor her. If you leave your number at the desk…”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll sit in a chair in her room, you won’t know I’m there - but I’m not leaving.”

The doctor nodded with grudging acceptance. Nurses through the night would notice before entering the room that afternoon and evening. Mulder holding Scully’s hand only to release it when he would hear the door open.

Scully’s Hospital Room  
2a.m.

Mulder had been watching Scully for hours, the nurses kept assuring him she was okay, vitals were good she responded to pain stimuli even though she didn’t awaken. “Don’t worry, Agent Mulder she will be fine,” they said. Around 3 am though she began to whimper…

“Mulder… no … please stop.”

He stood and gently stroked her forehead trying to soothe her, “Shhh… it’s okay… Scully it’s okay.”

She’d quieted almost immediately and Mulder sat back down scrubbing his hands over his face. Was she thinking about the attack? Did she call out for his help and he wasn’t fucking there? Or did he have his answer?  His attentions were unwanted? He’d pushed and she’d wanted him to stop… and he hadn’t.

He’d fallen asleep toward morning, his head on the bed near her hip with Scully’s hand on his head. The nurse who had barred him from the ER the previous day, she’d made it a habit to check in on patients the following day was the one to witness this…and more. The patient’s hand began to wander through Agent Mulder’s hair and her eyes slowly opened. Agent Mulder blinked and raised his head, Agent Scully’s hand moving down to cup his cheek. His lips curved into a gentle smile and he grabbed her hand and placed a gentle kiss on it before nuzzling it with his cheek.

The nurse gave a sigh and quickly swiped at her wet eyes before walking away. There was no need to disturb them. The patient was in good hands.

Mulder excused himself and stepped out of the room, his phone rang and Skinner told him to get back to DC immediately with some explanation into the report laying on his desk regarding Agent Scully’s assault. He hung up and dialed the phone.

“Mrs. Scully? It’s Fox, Fox Mulder.”

After speaking with Mrs. Scully Mulder stepped back into Scully’s room. He’s not there long.

“Hey Scully… Skinner called I need to get back to DC asap. I called your mom she’ll be here later today.”

He quickly leans over and kisses her forehead. “Feel better, Scully.” He avoids any eye contact and exits the room. “But… Mulder…” echoing in his ears.

When Mrs. Scully arrives she is stoic hugging her daughter with a million questions, she is about ready to ask when she glances in the trash and sees a small wad of bloody tissues.

“Dana?”

Scully had seen her mother’s eyes dart to the side. She sighs, “It’s okay mom I just had a nosebleed. The air is dry in here.”

Margaret Scully sits in the chair Mulder had occupied all night and pinned her daughter with a stare.

“You need to tell me what’s going on, Dana… and why I had to hear my daughter was attacked and is in the hospital yet again. Where was Fox? And why isn’t he here with you?”

X Files Office  
Morning

Scully’s first day back was rough. She was still bruised, tired and also dealing with the aftereffects of her concussion, sensitivity to light, dizziness. Mulder’s relief at seeing her slowly leached away to be replaced by sarcasm.

**_“_ ** _Welcome back. You look a lot better than you did in the hospital. And congratulations for making an personal appearance in the X Files for the second time.”_

Mulder gets a file out of the cabinet and sits at his desk flipping open the file. “It’s a world’s record.” Scully doesn’t respond, Mulder clears his throat and continues.

_“Ed Jerse is in custody at the St. John’s burn facility in Philadelphia. Traces of ergot were found in his bloodstream as in yours, but not to the degree that should cause hallucinogenic ergotism.”_ Scully finally sits and Mulder continues.

_“He’ll undergo psychiatric evaluation after recovering from burn trauma. Comrade Svo has been shut down, he was under investigation for having connections to my friend Pudovkin. Case closed on Boris Badenov, which is really a shame because I was thinking of having an "N.Y." tattooed on my ass to commemorate the Yankees’ World Series victory. Better late than never, hunh?”_

Scully picks the rose petal off his desk. Mulder watches her uncomfortably before rising and putting the file away and getting another. He tilts his head back searching for the words, any words.

**_“_ ** _The uh, field office in Dallas is uh, receiving reports of the image of a missing child appearing on a blank billboard outside of Arlington…”_ Mulder sits again opening the file. He pauses, there are things he can’t say here he can’t allude to anything with eyes and ears recording them.   _“So.... All this, because I’ve ... because I didn’t get you a desk?”_

Scully looks at Mulder holding his gaze. _“Not everything is about you, Mulder. This is my life.”_

Oh but it was about Mulder and more. It was about friendships - relationships that had faded away or passed her by. About life being more than her job, gratifying as it really was at the end of the day.  About wanting to have a healthy sexual relationship. About an attraction that at its core was the one she’d promised herself she would never enter into again.

_“Yes but it’s - -”_

Scully looks at him questioningly. He opens his mouth to speak, wisely decides not to then sighs and fiddles with things on his desk. There’s an uncomfortable, weighted silence in the room.

Scully shifts her position in the chair and somehow manages to stifle a gasp when her tattoo started to throb anew - and the memories, thoughts start to bleed into her brain.

Scully wasn’t sure why the ouroboros design intrigued her so. The circle of life had popped into head and she’d managed to stifle a laugh. She’d observed the meeting between the two men and taken Ed’s card as a courtesy nothing else. That was until Mulder had asked if she had a date… and found herself dialing Ed Jerse’s phone number. Would she have called except for Mulder’s remark? She doesn’t know.

He was attractive, but she could see he was more like the type of guy Missy would have brought home just to tick off their parents. So why call? Was it the darkness hovering about him intriguing? Didn’t she want to leave that darkness behind? She should have suspected there was something more to that darkness when she found a photo with his face burned out. 

Instead they went to a dark and dingy bar and talked. She found herself opening up to him and she didn’t know why. Why didn’t the words “I’m fine,” breach her lips once? A few times she looked at him and didn’t see Ed - she saw Mulder. Mulder with his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. Mulder’s forearms were a work of art.

Scully shook her head and as she relaxed she had a quick image of all the patron’s in 1920’s clothing, Scully knew this was once a speakeasy bar famous for bootlegging and other crimes. The piano player looked like Mulder and the femme fatale draped across the piano looked like her, bright red lips were singing to the crowd, but she would turn and her eyes were all for him - the piano man.

She closed her eyes and gave a gentle shake of her head, when she opened them the vision was gone.

_“You’re so curious. Get your own.”_ Ed finally said.

Getting the tattoo was an experience. Some would say the pain bordered on the erotic, maybe it did… She stared into Ed’s eyes part of the time, it hurt it really did she had to keep catching her breath. She had to wonder did she secretly like pain? The needle entered her skin repeatedly, her eyes blurred and burned. Ed became Mulder again - looking at her with concern and confusion.

He stepped towards her his hand reaching out to gently cup her lower back off to the right, like always guiding her, letting her know of his presence. Even from the first day she’d never felt he was touching her inappropriately, it was courtly, and comforting...Mulder was a gentleman in an era of increasing feminism.

She blinked again her imagination breaking apart like shards of glass embedding themselves in her skin, in that newly inked tattoo… Mulder’s spot.

Three weeks went by, Scully was pulled in for several autopsies due to backlog in other departments, being away from Mulder gave her time to think and 3 weeks later Scully made a decision she stopped into the basement office after her final autopsy. “Mulder?”

“Yeah, Scully.” He seemed to brighten and dim at the same time as she stood in the doorway, her hand on the knob.

“I want you to come to my place tonight. I’ll make us dinner and then we’ll talk. We have to talk.”

Mulder swallowed, “Okay, Scully.”

Scully’s apartment  
6:30pm

Scully had decided to make braised steak with pearl onions and she’d done some herb dusted red potatoes and carrots, a tossed salad and dessert - Caramel Cashew Ice Cream would complete their meal. At least they’d have a good meal… before things possibly changed between them forever - she was pretty sure they already had.

She went into her bedroom and began to change into the dress she’d purchased last year on a whim. It was a beautiful green darker than kelly green, but not quite emerald. It was silky soft and it caressed her skin, flowing over her like water, the hem rested just above her knees. The dress had a little bit of flirtiness to it, Scully spun in a circle and watched it flare out. She felt sensual, feminine, she’d purchased a matching bra and panties to wear with it, but after seeing how it ruined the smooth lines of the dress she made the choice to go without.

Would Mulder notice?

Looking in the mirror the memories twirled into her consciousness the same way her green skirt had just moments ago. She’d driven Ed back to his apartment and he’d invited her up, there was a weather advisory out, but nothing she hadn’t dealt with before. There wasn’t any need for her to stay at his apartment other than the attraction she felt - or thought she felt.

_“Look, the weather and a few drinks under your belt ... I’d feel better if you stayed here. Hey, I’m not up to anything. I just want you to be safe. I’ll take the couch. That tattoo hurt at all?”_

_“Yeah, um.... it feels weird. I, uh, I can’t see it and..... but I feel different. It’s like, um, I don’t know how I feel about that.”_ Scully can’t explain it, it’s tingling or sparking, her skin - she imagines Mulder tracing it with his fingers. She shakes her head slightly as her shirt rises and Ed pulls the bandage away.

_“It looks all right.”_

Scully remembers seeing the blood on his shirt cuff and suddenly she wants his shirt off, there’s blood higher up on the sleeve too - words pass both of their lips - she’s already started down this path of being dangerous - reckless. How far will she go?

His hold on her wrists are actually beginning to hurt, so tight - she’s pretty sure she’ll have bruises. He’s leaning in and their lips are so close to touching. She takes a breath… Mulder hasn’t kissed her yet, he didn’t even kiss her when she came apart in his arms. Scully turns her head away, “No,” is barely a whisper.

Ed lets go of one of her wrists and slams his door closed before spinning Scully around and pressing her against the door, he quickly pulls her shirt over her head and drops it to the floor beside them. “Ed?” Scully’s voice is deserting her, any arousal ebbing by the time Ed has secured both her wrists in one of his - holding them above the door. His other hand is wandering, her buttock, her hip, her stomach, before cupping a breast - his touch is rough bordering on pain when he pinches her nipple.

She’s been held against her will too many times and she isn’t going to let this be another. He’s released her arms and the position he takes with her body … oh it’s Mulder, the way Mulder had held her just before seducing her with movement and silence. She hadn’t felt trapped in his arms - it was simply Mulder…. but Ed is not Mulder.

“Ed? …  stop.” She asks him firmly and he does. Stepping away. “I’m sorry,” he replies. Scully bends down and grabs her top holding it in front of her. Now that the moment is over, she’s a little self conscious standing in a stranger’s apartment...this is not something she would normally do. Never. She’d never done it.

“I’ll … Just a minute …” Ed disappears down the hallway, he returns with a blanket, pillow which he tosses on his couch and he hands her one of his dress shirts. “I thought you could … wear it to .. sleep in- you know the weather’s still...”

Things are awkward now. Scully turns and dons the shirt it’s so long down to her knees, it covers and conceals her. Ed sits on the couch and Scully wanders over to his desk and picks up the photo with his face burned out and sits on the desk chair. He’s watching her and there is a sudden sadness in his eyes, a melancholy that’s deep beneath the surface. “Tell me about them…” Scully softly asks.

Ed shakes his head no, but then begins speaking of his children, his divorce and his ever spiraling downward life since. At some point he stretches out, his head on the pillow, he’d smiled at times and others he cried until his voice faded and he fell asleep. Scully covered him with the blanket and went into the bedroom, she didn’t think she was in any danger, but her instincts prevailed and after shutting the door a chair was shoved under the knob firmly.

She woke to knocking, Philly PD and the day went to hell. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, tonight was hopefully about new beginnings, adding another layer to the partnership between them. Scully was ready to take that step and if she’d read the signs right - so was Mulder. Scully could swear she felt his presence before he knocked and then the steady rapping sound happened - he was here.

Mulder was here.

Scully answered the door. “Hey, Scu…” She knew Mulder noticed as his eyes travelled the length of her body, before meeting her eyes. “You, you look… beautiful.” Scully could feel her cheeks heating even though it was just the reaction she’d been hoping for.

Mulder was still standing in her doorway staring at her, he was holding 3 bottles of wine. “Are you going to come in, Mulder?” Nodding almost dumbly he stepped inside and Scully shut the door. Mulder couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. “I, I brought … well I didn’t know which wine would go with dinner.”

Scully reached out to take one bottle in her hand, Vecchia Cantina Chianti, a lovely red wine. Scully smiles and takes it to the counter, Mulder is still standing holding the other 2 bottles, she can feel his eyes following her. Mulder is sweating, he’s uncharacteristically nervous, yet so aroused he can feel a distinct stirring in his groin. Why does he have more apprehension than his first date? Then again his first date hadn’t been wearing anything like the silky confection Scully was wearing now. She walked back over to him and takes the other bottles out of his arms, still smiling her hips swaying as placed those bottles beside the other.

Mulder’s eyes are still roving over her dress, silky, smooth… he fists his hands, stifling a groan. Jesus is, is she naked under that liquid green? Scully has already grabbed a corkscrew out of a drawer and then opens the cupboard above her head, she glances coyly over her shoulder. “Mulder would you get a couple of wine goblets? They’re on the top shelf.” Scully was pointing and she’d just been stretched on tip toe a moment ago… Holy Hell! She’s in her bare feet and her toenails are painted this girly pink shade like cotton candy - he’d always loved cotton candy as a boy.

“Mulder?” Mulder takes a deep breath and swallows, “Uh… yes.” He clears his throat as he walks forward, Scully is right in front of him as he reaches for the goblets. Oh this was a bad… bad idea…

Standing outside Scully’s door, in the hallway Mulder could smell whatever she was cooking and it smelled delicious. Now though, standing with Scully trapped between his body and the counter all he smells is her. All he feels as he presses closer is every dip and curve of her body, Scully hisses his name, “Mulder…” and the goblets are forgotten, she tilts her head back and Mulder’s head descends sealing their lips together for the first time.

Mulder’s hands aren’t idle immediately going for her breasts, neglected the last time they were in this position . Oh God! His hands completely cover them, his plucking and squeezing her nipple through the silk is devine and she can’t be idle any longer. Scully reaches back with the dexterity only a doctor would have unbuckles and unzips Mulders jeans, and has his erection freed from the confines. Her fingertips are tickling, delicately stroking his length, he feels ready to burst, he groans and pulls away from the enticement of her lips.

Mulder keeps getting drawn back to those lips even as he manages to speak, “Um… Scu - ly …” One of her hands is fisted around his cock, slowly pumping - if she doesn’t stop… “Bed … Bedroom?”

Scully pulls away from his lips both of them are breathing heavily and Scully gives a slight shake of her head, “No… right here … right now.” Scully kisses him again and starts guiding his cock forward and tilting her ass her very naked ass upward just the slightest bit- which is all the encouragement Mulder needs.

Mulder takes a step back, gently grasping her wrists - for a moment he remembers the bruised ringing them - and placing them on the edge of the counter. He suddenly doesn’t know if he can, he didn’t bring a condom - he wasn’t expecting this to happen. The thought of another man touching her… even as his inner dialogue is speaking his hands are still busy one from behind spreading her wetness all around, finger dipping in and out. The other plucking, lightly stroking and then deeply grinding her clitoris until she screams out. “MULDER!”

Scully is panting, still shaking from her release and Mulder’s hands have now trailed up to ther hips, gripping and sliding that silky dress above her waist his eyes zeroing in on that snake circling her back. His erection hasn’t waned even viewing the imprinted fact of her indiscretion, he slowly traces the mark with his fingertip and Scully moans, “Oh God...touch me, touch it Mulder...touch…”

Mulder placed his whole palm over it, Scully moaned again, Mulder began kneading the skin watch and listening for her reaction, she arches in ecstasy. “Why… Scully…?” Scully can hear the pain in his voice even as he continues stroking her back, the other hand is traversing a breast to clit journey over and over and Scully is quickly climbing towards another orgasm. But it feels like Mulder isn’t really there with her and she wants him to be.

Suddenly she feels him licking and biting her back it feels like he’s trying to eat the tattoo off her back and he pinches her clit and grinds at the same time and she explodes screaming out, “I didn’t do it! Mulder! I didn’t fuck him…”

He’s holding her hips firmly one second and the next she looks over her shoulder and sees him flex his knees slightly one hand around his erection, prodding her entrance “Good,” he groans out and finally pushes steadily into her. “Oh God…” they both moan out, Scully drops her head to the counter as Mulder begins thrusting inside of her. She feels every inch of him, amazingly she feels the pressure building again, but it’s deeper with his fullness inside of her.

Five or six more quick whip-like pistons in and out of her and she comes again, Mulder moments after. They both feel boneless, wrung out and sweaty, chests heaving from their exertions. He slips out of her and she turns in his arms, glancing to his penis slowly going flaccid he’s still an impressive male specimen. They gently kiss and pull each other into an embrace, hugging each other tightly. “Scully… I never… I wasn’t expecting. You know … this.” Mulder mumbles into her hair.

“I was hoping you liked my dress…” she looks up at him with a knowing smile. “I think that was obvious.” Mulder’s stomach growled and Scully chuckled. “Let’s eat Mulder.” Mulder kisses her forehead, the tip of her nose and finally her lips again. “I’d like that Scully.”

Later after eating and clearing up the table, Scully grabs her glass of wine and Mulder’s hand leading them into her bedroom. He has his own glass as well and he takes a sip before sharing that sip with her lips. Their mutual desire is rising from the embers, Mulder reaches down and lifts the dress off Scully. She stands before him naked all creamy rose skin he smiles and drops to the bed pulling her between his legs.

“Why are you smiling?” In response Mulder took a nipple into his mouth, Scully gasped. He let that nipple pop out of his mouth and raised his glass pouring the wine over the sister nipple before engulfing it in his mouth. Some of the wine had drizzled down, down and Mulder chased it with his lips and tongue. “Such pretty little nipples… the color of Rose wine…” he murmured against her stomach, causing sensual flutters down low. “Stand up, Mulder.” Scully breathlessly demands, she quickly divests Mulder of his clothes and pushes him back on the bed, he’s already hard and she settles over him her body moving sinuously, his hands running over her skin rough and soft.

They make love through the night, but when the dawn’s sun breaks through her windows Mulder is not in her bed. She throws on a robe and pads out to the kitchen and he isn’t there either. On her coffee table is her journal she sometimes writes in its open to an entry and the sentence stares up at her damning her.

“I made myself a promise after Jack, never again, would I involve myself with a co-worker… never again.”

And below it in Mulder’s script. “Okay, Scully.”

Closing the journal with a slam she hurls the offending object across the room and curls into a ball on her couch… what has she done?

The end.

**Author's Note:**

> Huge shoutout to CultureIsDarkBeer for the encouragement, discussions and super-quick beta for all the parts of my NA series. This ep will forever be one I have to force myself to watch. I always wondered if there was a way to make it plausible that Scully and Jerse didn't have sex. My idea actually sprung for a friend who watched the ep for the 1st time and her comments to me were "What did she do wash out the blood from his shit, before she slept in it?" & "What woman sleeps in nylons?"
> 
> With that 1st question/comment the basis for my 'no they didn't' plot came into vision. I had to go back and went frame by frame to look at the shirt, and there was blood on the cuff and on the bicep area. Yet there were no stains on the one Scully wakes up in. And just for the heck of it I discovered during the section where she drops her badge there is a shot of her feet and you can distinctly see the 'webbing' of hosiery between her toes. It's not conclusive proof, but it's enough for me.
> 
> No matter which side of the fence you land on I still hope you enjoyed the series. I'm team 'No Bang."


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